A Fledgling's Journey
by Neph Champion
Summary: Lucina knows that the only way to save the world is to go to past. Her wish is to save her parents, and the world.
1. A Bird's Remorse

**Title: A Fledgling's Journey**

 **Idea: Awakening: Lucina goes to the past.**

 **Summary: Lucina knows that the only way to save the world is to go to past. Her wish is to save her parents, and the world.**

 **Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Fire Emblem**

 **Warning: Robin is Build 1, Face 1, Hair 3, Hair Color: 12.**

(A Bird's Remorse)

"No, no!" Robin shook his body, anything to get him to move, to get up. "Chrom, beloved, get up. It can't end like this!"

She shook her head against the laughter she could hear in her mind, getting louder and louder. "We need to go home remember? We promised Lucina and the twins that we'd spend the whole week with them when we got home. No work, no nothing, just us five…" The tears in her eyes built up and then overflowed as she began sobbing.

Robin had always known that she was Grima's vessel. The Queen of Ylisse had never thought that she couldn't overcome any attempts Validar made to possess her to harm Chrom in this way. She'd been overconfident in her own ability to regain control of herself before she could harm her loved ones. She was now living her greatest fear.

Robin knew that they had to flee, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Now Chrom was gone, and the weight of the world was on her shoulders. She was not about to leave her king's body here.

She attacked every Grimleal that came close and waited for the others to arrive. Her Shepherds were her friends, and she was sure that they'd share in her grief. She'd say that Chrom was murdered. She'd let them come to their own conclusions as to who did it.

Finally, Lissa burst in on her horse. "Robin! Big brother!"

Robin turned. "Lissa, be careful!"

Lissa nodded as she rode towards her brother and sister-in-law and shot wind magic at the Grimleal that Robin had missed until she got to Robin's side. "Is Chrom alright?"

Robin turned her golden eyes to the ground, "I think he's dead."

"But," Lissa found that she had nothing to say. This was worse than when Emmeryn died.

"Please, Lissa," Robin pleaded over the sound of her thunder magic as she shot another Thoron spell at the last of the Grimleal, "help me bring his body home."

Lissa swallowed. "Okay." She helped lug Chrom's body up behind her saddle. "Will your escape plans still work?"

"They should," Robin bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed. "I need to get home, to Lucina and Marc and Morgan."

"We'll get you home Robin."

 _Three weeks later_

Robin brought her pegasus, Tiny Hero King, down in front of the gates to Ylisstol and had to swallow the bile in her throat yet again. What could she do? This was the second exalt dead in less than ten years, and she had already told Lissa that the younger girl was not going to sit on that throne.

Robin wasn't about to let her sister work herself to death to distract her from the grief at the loss of her older brother. Robin didn't even want to think about how her children would react to learning their father was dead.

She knew there would be tears. Robin closed her eyes and rubbed the tears away as best she could, already feeling the familiar burn in her marked hand, a sure sign that her children were close. "I hope Nowi hasn't let them out of the castle." She didn't want them to see their father's body, not before she could explain what happened to him at least.

Robin sighed as she led Tiny Hero King to the stables. "Cordelia, can you and Sumia take care of Tiny Hero King while I go find my children?"

Cordelia nodded. "Worry not; we'll take care of Tiny One." She shooed the queen off. "Go spend time with your children."

Robin gave Cordelia a forced smile and left the stables. She hummed a sad, forlorn tune as she began searching out her three blue haired children. She found them by the maple grove where her beloved had often come when he was 'dueling with unpleasant thoughts'. Marc was on Lucina's lap, and Nah was cuddling with Morgan as Nowi regaled them with stories of the days back when she was simply Chrom's tactician and not his wife.

The simpler days that she now wished they could return, too. She cleared her throat. "Thank you for looking out for them, Nowi. I take it that Lon'qu is still here somewhere?"

Nowi's eyes widened. "Oh, yes. Yes he is," Nowi scooped a disgruntled Nah into her arms, away from Morgan. "He has a report for you. It seems that the number of Risen are starting to surge again."

"Again?" Robin sighed as she watched Morgan, crying that his friend was gone, crawl over to his sisters. "I guess I'll just have to deal with it later."

Robin scooped up her two-year-old boy. "Did you miss mother, Morgan?"

Morgan's eyes lit up. "Mama!" He giggled, ignoring Robin's sad smile as she tickled under his chin.

"Lucina, were you three good for Nowi?" Robin turned her attention to the seven-year-old.

"Yes, Mother, we were very well behaved," Lucina reported to her mother. "Where's Father? You promised that it would be just us."

"Nowi, can you take Nah inside please?" Robin turned to look at her Manakete friend. "There's something I need to tell my children, alone."

"It's about time I go find Lon'qu anyway," Nowi agreed. "We'll see you later."

"Mother," Lucina tugged on her cloak to get her attention back, "where is father?"

Robin took a deep breath and licked her lip. "Your father was murdered," she replied, sliding to her knees as she held Morgan close, "by someone close to him."

Lucina's eyes widened, "But…"

"I'm sorry, Luci. I couldn't save him this time," Robin pulled both Lucina and Marc into her lap and hugged her three children for all she was worth.

That night, Lucina's tactics games got much harder.

 _Three weeks later_

With a heavy heart, Robin became the Exalt, even if she wasn't of the Exalted Bloodline. Her work load piled up, but she still made time for her children.

When Morgan and Marc turned three, Robin allowed them to join Lucina in her tactics lessons but not her royal lessons.

One night, Lucina overheard her mother talking with Aunt Lissa.

"…His voice is getting louder. I don't know what to do, Lissa." Robin paced her study. "It's getting harder and harder to drown him out."

"But you had no problems before," Lissa watched. "Are you sure you aren't just stressed?"

"No, Lissa!" Robin took a deep breath, "Chrom was my rock. I couldn't hear _him_ at all when Chrom was around."

Robin turned to her sister and bit her lip. "Something about your brother blocked him out. Maybe it was just that you and he are of Naga's blessed line. I don't know."

Tears started to fall from the queen's eyes. "I just, just don't know how long I will be able to fight him with Chrom gone."

Lissa bit her lip as she watched her sister fall apart before her eyes. "You need to keep fighting though, for Lucina, Marc, and Morgan."

Robin nodded as she turned to look out her window. "I know. I will never give up without a fight," she sighed deeply, "but I don't know how long I can hold out."

The next day, Lucina and her siblings tried harder than they ever had in their lessons. They threw themselves into studying for their mother's lessons and even almost beat her several times, much to Robin's delight. But that just meant that Robin upped her own level, just a bit.

When Lucina turned ten, Robin looked into her vanity mirror and almost had a heart attack. Her eyes were glowing a faint red. "I've lost," she breathed in fear. "I've lost."

So, Robin took that day off and spent her last day with her kids. While in the market, she slipped into the tailor's shop and ordered three tactician cloaks for when her kids were older. "Have these delivered to the castle when they are done."

"Yes, Your Grace," the tailor bowed, "I shall get these done for you."

"Mother," Lucina called from a nearby stand, "can we have lunch now?"

Robin smiled. "Yes dear, we may have lunch now." She took Marc's hand in her left and Lucina's in her right before leading them down the lane to the shop that made Stahl's favorite pastries.

Lucina took her first bite of one and her eyes lit up. "Uncle Stahl was right. These are very good."

Robin watched with sad eyes as her children enjoyed their last day with her. "What shall we do next?"

"Can we go look at the magic tomes, Mother?" Morgan asked.

Robin chuckled. "You want to learn magic?"

All three of her beloved children nodded. "Yes please, Mother," all three chirped.

Robin had to bite down hard on her response. Her little ones were adorable, "Alright, my Tiny Ones, once we're there you can pick out which type of magic you want to learn, and the lessons will begin tomorrow."

How Robin hated to lie, especially to Chrom's children, but she could not stay, not with Grima so close to the surface. She forced a happier smile onto her face as her children cheered and gobbled up the rest of their pastries.

Marc and Morgan especially loved her lessons, and Robin couldn't be happier. Lucina would need her little siblings' help if the three of them were to survive Grima's wrath, which Robin could no longer fight. This had been a long time in coming. Honestly, Robin was surprised that she'd lasted this long without Chrom.

Robin shook her head, pushing Grima's murderous musings away as best she could so that she could enjoy this last day of freedom.

That night, she sang her children to sleep one last time, and after making sure they were actually asleep, she slipped into her study and penned Lucina a letter, dropping as many hints as to what was really going on as she dared. Then she grabbed the book her father had been carrying that fateful day all those years ago, and after gently placing her crown on top of the letter, slipped out of the castle for the last time.

"These tears that burn my eyes are all the tears the queen can shed," she sang to the wind as she turned to look back at her beloved home one last time. "These tears I weep in silence as I mourn my heralds dead…"

Grima was already guiding her feet to the Dragon's Table, where he would take over completely. How she'd hated that place as a child, and she was forever grateful to her mother for taking her away. Her journey was much faster than she remembered the march being the first time.

"Oh Gods that dwell beyond the stars if you can hear my cry," she flinched at Grima's dark laughter as she unwillingly ascended the steps to her demise. The Risen were already gathered and parted for her as she grew closer.

Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the familiar body of her beloved lying at the center of the table. "No, how could you be here? We buried you in the graveyard, next to Emm and your parents!"

Robin sprinted up the steps. The tears in her eyes fell freely as she knelt next to his prone, yet somehow, still perfect body. Her tear filled golden eyes widened as Chrom's body was lifted by Grima's dark magic, and she swallowed the bile rising in her throat and covered her mouth as she watched in horror.

His skin was peeling away leaving only grotesque purple muscle underneath. His royal blue armor burned away leaving a red simile and poor caricature of his armor behind. When the magic let him down, he was standing. The new Grand General of Grima's army.

Robin shook her head weakly as his eyes opened, glowing that same cobalt that they had been in life. 'What have you done?' she demanded of the voice in her mind.

'I have simply given you the best guardian of them all.' Robin shivered in terror as the risen form of her husband knelt before her and held out a hand to help her up, just as Chrom has when he was alive all those years ago, the day she'd first fallen in love with him. "No," she breathed shaking her head, wanting nothing more than to scream. " _NO_!"

Robin knew no more for the next three years

 _Three years later_

Waking up and not being in control was very disconcerting. Robin couldn't do anything at all. It was terrifying, especially when she heard rumors of her children. Morgan and Marc would be what? Eight now? Yes, that was right. Robin hoped that she'd been able to teach them enough.

Robin had no sense of time at all when she slept. She knew Grima could use her in some way while she slept. It terrified her that Grima might always be several steps ahead of her clever children. Months at a time seemed to go by when she was out, but Robin had no way of counting them.

It wasn't until two years later that she finally saw them again, when Grima's Risen overran her home. She could feel Grima's sick pleasure, his glee at the vision of her home in ruins, as Ylisstol burned.

Robin watched with baited breath as Lucina gored a Risen with Falchion. "I believe the woman you want is _me_." Lucina pulled upward hard, saving the soldier.

Lucina glared at the soldier. "Pick up a sword and _fight,_ " she commanded, panting.

Robin watched as Grima destroyed more of her home, but knew she was helpless to do anything. "So ends the human race," Grima hissed. "The future is built upon the past."

"But your kind shall never see it."

Lucina's eyes widened in fear, and Robin couldn't stand it. Her daughter was clever and strong, and together with Marc and Morgan, they'd find a way to stop him.

"Your mother and father are dead, _Tiny One_ ," Grima told her elatedly. Robin noticed Lucina flinch at the nickname.

Grima's laughter made her sick, but since Robin _was_ Grima and Grima was Robin, there wasn't much that she could do for her daughter.

She watched as Lucina grabbed her younger siblings and they fled.

Over the next year, Robin began hearing rumors about how the children of the Shepherds were planning to go to the past, and Robin realized she knew exactly what she needed to do. 'Grima!'

'Yes?'

Robin licked her lips. 'We must stop them, stop them from awakening us. From changing the past.' She swallowed her anxiety. 'To do that, we must follow them into the past. I'm sure that's what Naga intends to do, send them back!'

This was it. This was her last gambit she waited with baited breath as Grima pondered what she'd said.

'Yes, you're right.' He finally agreed. His huge body began to disappear.

Robin found herself back in command of her body, though she knew it wouldn't last as she fell into the arms of her Risen husband. "Put me down, Chrom," she commanded.

And she found herself placed lightly on her feet. She was surprised to find a fond, soft smile of that grotesque face. Was Chrom's mind in there?!

Robin watched from the behind glowing red eyes as Lucina dragged her younger siblings into the Outreach Gate and smiled to herself. Grima was about to build his own coffin at her own suggestion.

Grima walked calmly through the gate, heading a different way. 'What should we do first once we get there?'

Robin asked her past self forgiveness and sent a prayer to Naga for the same for what she was about to do. 'We should merge with our past self,' she looked out their eyes, 'that way we have the pleasure of killing Chrom twice.'

 _Second timeline: field near Southtown_

A young woman named Robin with sky blue hair and golden eyes hummed as she walked towards the next town on her trek. "I know I'll need help. I just wish Prince Chrom wasn't so hard to track down."

A twig snapped and Robin whipped around, tensing when she saw a woman nearly identical to herself standing there with a sadistic grin. "Who are you?"

"I'm you," they hissed and lunged at her.

Robin reached for her thunder tome, but the other was already on her. She found herself on the ground.

Robin gave a muffled scream as she felt something tear into her mind and heart. "No!" She struggled to get out from under her attacker.

The older Robin looked around at all the memories her younger self would have to give up and cried for the loss of her brilliant mother who had taught her everything she knew. She tore it all down.

Bird, as the older Robin thought of herself, carefully pulled her memory of that horrible day, the day her beloved died from her own mind and planted it into her younger self's mind. "I hate to do this," Bird whispered to Robin and took apart her own memories and leaving impressions and feelings for the rest of the Shepherds as Grima realized that the younger Robin's heart was not yet ready, "but this is the only way to guarantee that Grima dies."

Bird took a deep breath. "Forgive me, but this is the only way that I can promise that our beloved will live through that horrible ordeal. It is better that you don't know. It is better that beloved be the first thing you remember. I am so tired. All I want is to be with him again, and you, Tiny Robin, will be the one to grant me rest."

 _Robin's Dream_

 _She ran after him, a step behind as always slipping around their enemy as her husband engaged him with his sword. She charged a bolt of thunder magic in one hand as she watched._

 _Her husband's blade was caught on the dark magic the other used and he rolled under the shot and looked up. "Up there," he warned. She shot her bolt of magic at him but missed._

 _"Beloved," she called as the ball of dark magic hit her husband, "are you alright?"_

 _"Yeah," he called back as he used his sword to help him stand. His arm was shaking, a sure sign that it was hurting him again like the many times he had assured it would not._

 _She turned back to their enemy and snarled as he shot another globe of dark magic at her husband. This time she shot her own magic at his to protect her love. She bristled when their foe gave her a contemplative look. She sent all her magic at him, trying to kill him swiftly. "For killing Emm, for almost killing_ _ **m**_ _ **y beloved**_ _, and for_ _ **continuing**_ _your attempts on his life,_ _ **I'll kill you!**_ _"_

 _Beloved glared at the other man from her side, panting. He was ready._

 _"Damn you both!" She barely heard him and saw the bolt of dark magic from over beloved's shoulder. If she let it hit him, her beloved would surely die._

 _She shoved him away and took the attack herself. She must have blacked out for a moment because the next thing she knew her beloved was leaning over her._

 _"Are you alright?" he asked and helped her to sit up, letting her lean against his side. "Thanks to you we carried the day, Robin. No "destiny" will ever take you from us."_

 _She chuckled as he pulled her to her feet. "You're right, that's-" Something in her chest pulsed, and suddenly, everything seemed so far away, including her husband's voice._

 _"That's the end of him," he was saying, though she could barely hear him. It was as if she was under water. "We can rest easy now."_

 _He looked down when she didn't say anything, "Hey are you alright?" he asked urgently, "Hey, hang on!"_

 _When she came back to herself she saw that her beloved husband had a look of agony on his face. "B-Beloved?" she asked fearfully. "What happened? Beloved!"_

 _He took a few steps back. She felt as if her heart had been ripped out. A bolt of_ _ **her**_ _t_ _ **hunder magic**_ _was sticking out of his gut._

 _"This isn't your fault," he struggled to get out. "Promise me, that you'll leave this place…"_

 _"Not without you!" she tried to argue. "Let me call Lissa or Maribelle!"_

 _"It's too late for that." He fell to his knees. "Please… Go…"_

 _She screamed his name as he fell face down on the ground, and for some reason, she was certain he was dead._

(End)

Ok, you will notice that this chapter does not follow the trend for the other Fledgling fics, for one, this is in Robin's perspective not Lucina's because it would not have worked as well. Lucina didn't witness her father's death, only Robin did.

 **And I must confess, the whole reason I wrote this was so that I could write the end, where Bird attacks Robin, the memories being erased and all that.**

Thank you to my lovely beta, who has the best ideas and cleans up my mess.


	2. A Fledgling to the Rescue

**Title: A Fledgling's Surprise**

 **Writer: Neph Champion**

 **Idea: Awakening: Snippet from chapter one, Lucina's point of view coming out of the portal to her future.**

 **Summary: Lucina is confused when she comes out of the portal, she was sure that her brother Morgan was right behind her but what she sees upon landing causes her mind to almost blank. Why is her mother without a tome? Against a tree and about to be killed by the Risen? All she knows is that she has to save her mother.**

(Fledgling to the Rescue)

Panting slightly Lucina looked around at her friends. They had run all the way here from Ylisstol, trying to flee Grima. "According to Naga, this gate can take us to the past. I think we should go now. We can save the world, save our _parents_ from Grima."

"But Luci, we're all tired," her brother Morgan complained. "We're way far ahead of the monster that wears Mother's skin, surely we can go in the morning."

Lucina shook her head. "I thought I told you to call me Marth, Morgan," she reminded her tactician of a brother and tried to ignore the burn of the mark on her left ankle. "Besides, with Grima in mother's skin, he'll have known we're planning to use the gate. We can't delay the trip."

He sighed and looked at his twin sister, who was just as tired as he was. "What do you think, Marc?"[1]

"'Cina's right, Morgan," She turned to him tears in her eyes. "Grima has access to the way Mother thinks, how Grima got into Mother's body…"

Owain sighed. He was too tired to speak the way he usually did. "So when we go through are we going to come out in the same place?"

Marc shrugged. "Naga didn't tell us. We could end up anywhere, any time."

Cynthia grimaced from where she leaned against her Pegasus. "Don't talk like that Princess Marc. The Divine Dragon wouldn't do that to us."

Scowling at her friends, Noire closed her book of dark magic. "Stop it. Marc has a point. Any one of us could end up in the wrong time period, and then what would we do?"

Lucina nodded and looked to the boys. "What do you think?"

Gerome huffed as he pet Minerva's scales. "You're right. Whatever we do we have to do it soon." He looked up at her. "We are your Shepherds, Lady Lucina. We will follow you wherever you go."

Lucina nodded gratefully to him and turned to Brady. "What about you?"

Brady stared. "I could not have said it better."

Inigo and Yarne both nodded in agreement.

Lucina nodded. "Then get up, and let's go save the world." She leaned down and helped her little brother and sister up off the ground. "Marc, Morgan, keep together. I wouldn't want to lose either of you. With Father and Mother gone…"

Marc sighed as she took her sister's hand. "You don't need to worry about us Lucina."

Morgan nodded in agreement. "You know we've got your back. We are your tacticians, just like Mother was Father's."

The elder princess hugged them both. "Thank you," she whispered. She didn't think that they knew just how good that made her feel. Her sibling's words made her feel as if she was a million times lighter. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

"I think we do." Marc grinned.

Gerome pulled himself up using Minerva and then helped Inigo up. "You know we'd follow you into hell Luci."

Laurent used his staff as leverage to get up. "Be it right now or in a hundred years we will go through that gate with you."

Yarne nodded. "I might be scared out of my mind, but I'll still go."

"Thank you Yarne, you must be one of the bravest people I know," Lucina told the half Taguel.

"Thank you Lucina," he whispered.

"We all long to see our parents again too." Kjelle smiled and reminded her Exalt.

Lucina gave the girl a nod. "Right."

Nah chuckled. "We'll have to see what happens on the other side."

"Right," Severa smirked at her best friend.

Yarne's head snapped to the north. "Oh no, Risen!"

"Morgan, grab hold of my hand and don't let go. Marc, you hold Morgan's," Lucina instructed urgently. "I don't want to lose either of you as we go through!"

Marc grabbed Morgan's left and Morgan's right took Lucina's left. "Right," they agreed together.

"Run for the gate!" Nah shouted as she grabbed Yarne's hand and started pulling him towards the gate herself.

Lucina, Morgan, and Marc made it to the gate first and lost sight of the others.

Morgan looked back. "Marc?" he called as he felt her hand slipping.

Marc's eyes widened in fear as she grabbed his wrist with her other hand. "I'll stay with you," she promised as she noticed Morgan's hand starting to slip from their older sister's.

Lucina looked back as she felt Morgan's hand slip from hers. "Morgan! Marc!" she shouted as the gate in front of them opened.

"We'll meet you there later sister!" they called together.

"Father and Aunt Lissa need your help right now," Marc called.

"And don't forget to use the mind that you got from Mother," Morgan finished. "We'll see you soon."

Lucina's eyes filled with tears behind her mask as she turned her back on her younger siblings and set her eyes on the exit. They were right. Father and Aunt Lissa needed her. She could remember Father telling her the story of the first time he'd fought Risen, of how he had almost lost his little sister. Her eyes widened when she saw that Risen had beaten her.

"No," she whispered, "not while I draw breath you aren't." Lucina snarled as she burst from the gate, taking in the battlefield as she did so. There was Father fighting the Risen as he said he had been, and Aunt Lissa should be… Huh?

Lucina's mind almost ground to a stop when she saw her Mother, not Aunt Lissa, up against the tree. Her hand out with a bolt of Thunder magic crackling in her palm but no Thunder Tome in sight with an axe wielding Risen standing there about to cut her down.

Lucina's mind started up again just before her feet hit the ground and she started to run. Had father been lying when he said that it was Aunt Lissa that had nearly died in the encounter? Lucina mentally shook herself and pulled Falchion from its sheath and caught the blade of the axe. She was sure she didn't need to stand there long. Father would no doubt go to Mother's aide.

After one very long minute of struggling to keep the axe from coming down, Lucina noticed that her Father was just staring at her. "Help," she demanded.

'Do you really want Mother to _die_?' her mind screamed as she felt her arm start to buckle.

Father blinked. "Right," he said and gave a battle cry as he ran forward.

Lucina smirked as the Risen's attention turned to her father, and she pushed the axe away from herself and her mother. Her slash went below her father's, and he stopped about a foot away with Lucina on the other side. She sighed in relief. That seemed to be the last of Grima's minions, for the time being at least.

She stiffened slightly, standing straighter when she heard her mother speak. "That was quite an entrance."

She turned to look at them, glad for the mask that hid her eyes and her Brand. She said nothing as she watched her father take her mother's hand. Had they really started falling in love so soon after they'd met? Her eyes started to water as she watched her father check her mother for injuries. She couldn't help the small smile that curved her lips.

She put her poker face back on when her father turned back to her. "Who are you?" he asked.

Lucina took a step back. She didn't want to say anything. She knew for a fact that her father and mother were not married yet. So, what should she do? She silently thanked Naga when she heard Frederick and Aunt Lissa crashing through the trees, catching her parents' attention as she slipped into the trees to watch the fight.

"I'm so tired," she breathed as she slid down against a tree, out of sight. How could the Risen have beaten her here? How had Grima known?

"Stupid Lucina," she berated herself. "Morgan and Marc said it themselves. Grima has stolen Mother's body and has access to how she thinks!"

Her shoulders slumped. "The three of us might have learned about tactics from Mother," she sighed, "but we were never able to out think her."

In that moment, Lucina wanted nothing more than to rip her mask off and embrace her parents, cry into their shoulders, and tell them everything, but she knew she could not. Even worse, she'd gotten separated from the twins. Her parents would for sure scold her for letting go.

"Morgan, Marc," she breathed, "I'm sorry, where are you? Please… come back…"

She suddenly had no desire to be alone. Her eyes stung with tears, but she didn't dare remove the mask from her face to wipe them away. She needed to be strong, for Morgan, for Marc, for all of their friends…

Having finally pulled herself together enough that she wouldn't reveal everything and make things even worse, she sighed when she heard the fighting finally stop. She had managed to take the other Risen, killing as many as she could. She was dead tired, so maybe that was why Sir Frederick had been able to notice her.

"It looks like all the creatures have vanished," he said. "This young man must have taken care of the rest."

Lucina stared, not daring to say anything. 'Stupid!' she scolded herself again, but she wasn't about to correct Sir Frederick the Wary.

Her mother was smiling at her, and Lucina felt lighter than she had in years. "I never got to thank you did I?" Mother asked. "You were really very brave, so thank you."

Lucina bowed her head to hide her blush. Her mother's praise had always been one of the best things to get. She felt like a child again, like that time she'd nearly beaten the older woman at one of her tactics games.

"You saved my friend's life," she heard her father say and she turned to him and was glad that her mask hid her hope filled eyes. "My name is Chrom, what's yours?"

Lucina stifled her purr of content. Not only had she received praise from her mother, she'd received praise from her father. This was only her first day in the past, and already it was the best day she'd ever had. She wanted to tell them her real name but she could not so.

"Marth," she said quietly, "You may call me Marth," she repeated, her voice stronger and louder this time.

"Marth?" Aunt Lissa asked in excitement. "Like the heroic king of old Marth?"

Lucina stayed silent. Yes she meant her ancestor, but she wasn't about to tell them that. She knew that she could not hug either of her parents yet, much as she wanted to.

Father smirked. "You certainly fight like a hero," he agreed with Aunt Lissa. "Where did you learn your way with a sword?"

Lucina sighed. As much as she might want to stay and chat with her family, she had things to do, like finding her twin younger siblings. "I'm not here to talk about me!" She winced at how harshly the words came out. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was only a prelude."

Once again fighting the tears, she turned away from them all. "You have been warned…" her voice was grim and deathly quiet before she ran away, ignoring her much loved parents and Aunt, who no doubt wanted to know more.

Once she was sure that she was far enough away and that her parents would not look for her, she once again collapsed against a tree. This time she tore her mask away from her face, wrapped her arms around her knees, and finally cried into them, sobbing almost uncontrollably.

(End)

[1] My Head canon is that the two Morgans are twins; Morgan is the name form Awakening and Marc is the name for the Avatar in one of the other games. Morgan (m) is Morgan and Morgan (f) is Marc, just to be different.


	3. A Fledgling's Falchion

**Title: Clash of the Exalt**

 **Writer: Neph Champion**

 **Idea: Lucina can't help but watch her parents interact, it doesn't even matter that this pair isn't technically her parents. Seeing them together brings memories of what used to be to the front of her mind. The bittersweet happiness they used to have is haunting, and made all the worse by the fact that she still has not found her little siblings.**

 **Summary: Marth cannot help seeing them across the ring and smiles.**

 **Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Fire Emblem.**

 **Warning: Robin is Build 1, Face 1, Hair 3, Hair Color: 12.**

(Twin Falchion)

Lucina sighed as she watched her mother chat with her father. How she wanted to be over there, snuggled up to her mother's side as she had when she was younger, or maybe snuggled up to her father. She smiled as a memory surfaced, one after the Valm war, but before her mother returned from Plegia a widow just after he siblings, the twins, Morgan (the eldest) and Marc (the youngest and baby) were born.

She closed her eyes.

 _First Timeline: Eleven Years Ago: Ylisstol_

 _"But Father, why is mother in pain?" the five year old Lucina asked as she clutched her father's cape, flinching as her mother screamed again._

 _"It's time for your younger sibling to arrive Luci," Father replied with a gentle smile as he rubbed her back soothingly._

 _"But Mother's been in there already for six hours! I want to meet them_ _ **now**_ _."_

 _Her father just held her tight and a few minutes later they heard the cries of an infant._

 _Thinking it was over, her father scooped her up and slowly made his way to the door, ready to knock and inquire about her mother and new younger sibling's health. He stopped in his tracks, eyes widening almost comically when they heard her mother's tired, surprised scream of pain._

 _Lucina blinked. "Father, what's going on?"_

 _"Oh Gods," she heard her father mutter in disbelief. "_ _ **Twins**_ _."_

 _She yelped when her father fell to his knees. "Father?" she asked in concern "How long are we going to be here?"_

 _Her Father licked his lips. "Hopefully not too much longer Lucina," he whispered as he pet her hair._

 _Luckily for her and her father, it was only a few more minutes before they heard the cries of another infant, and Aunt Sumia let them in. "Congratulations, Captain," Aunt Sumia smiled. "You have a very healthy set of twins."_

 _She handed him her blue bundle. "This is your little boy, and he's the elder of the set,"_

 _Her father smiled as he leaned over to get a better look at her little brother. "Father, I want to see too."_

 _"In a minute," her father reassured her._

 _Aunt Sumia nodded and leaned down a little so that Lucina could also see. "He's all red," Lucina told them matter-of-factly._

 _Aunt Sumia giggled. "Yes he is," she agreed, watching as Lucina's father sat her on her mother's bed. "Would you like to hold him Captain?"_

 _Her father nodded, holding out his arms. "Yes please, Sumia."_

 _Aunt Sumia settled the baby gently into his father's arms and her father sat down next to her on her mother's bed. "He's beautiful," her father whispered._

 _Aunt Lissa stepped forward next. "And this is your daughter. She's the younger twin."_

 _Lucina kicked her shoes off and stood on the bed to get a better look at her baby sister. "She's all red too." She plopped back down to pout. "I was hoping I could play with them but they're tiny."_

 _Lucina whipped around when she heard her mother's tired laughter. "You'll just have to wait, my dearest Light."_

 _"But Mother."_

 _"No Luci," her mother smiled wearily as she sat up. "May I hold one of the twins?"_

 _Aunt Lissa gently deposited her baby sister into her mother's lap. "Here you are, Robin."_

 _"Thank you Lissa," her mother whispered as she wrapped her baby sister in her arms and picked her up. "Oh aren't you beautiful."_

 _Lucina really couldn't help her pout._

 _"They need names," her father leaned over so her mother could see her brother. "What do you think?"_

 _"I think our little boy will be Morgan, and our baby girl…" Mother paused, "Marc, after the tactician that aided King Marth."_

 _Timeline Two: Regna Ferox Arena_

Gods, Marc and Morgan were only eleven, almost twelve. How could she have let them out of her sight? Lucina felt the bile rise in her throat and forced it back down. As soon as this was over she'd be leaving to find them, her parents would beat her. They were too good for her to beat alone.

Even if Marc and Morgan _had_ been here, they'd never been able to out think their mother before. If her parents ever found out that she'd lost the twins…Lucina struggled to keep from covering her mouth with a hand. She didn't think she'd ever felt so sick in her life.

Lucina knew that the moment her mother realized who she was, she would never get those promised magic lessons, and Mother would forbid Father ever giving her another lesson in swordplay. What if her baby brother and sister were dead?

Lucina's head jerked up when she heard her Aunt Lissa exclaim to her father. "Chrom, look!"

"I see him," she heard her father say.

She kept her mouth shut, knowing that she might reveal all if she opened her mouth and wondered if she was really that good of an actress.

"Marth," her father called, "a question before we begin."

Lucina decided in that moment that she hated the sound of the Hero-King of old's name coming from his mouth as he addressed her and wished with all she was that she could correct him. She could feel tears forming in her eyes again and silently thanked Gerome for her mask one more time.

She heard her father sigh and forced her mind back onto the fight she was just about to have with one of the two people that she never wished to.

"Fine then, our swords will speak for us," her father declared and it was all she could do not to flinch.

Lucina swallowed silently as she drew her Falchion from its sheath, her grip way tighter than it should have been, in the guarded position that her father himself had taught her. She almost winced when she saw his eyes widen in shock.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded. "There's no way."

She closed her eyes as her father's voice trailed off, keeping alert with her ears as her mother had so lovingly taught them before coming home a widow, and then had quite liberally forced down their throats after.

Lucina wasn't afraid to admit that she and her younger siblings had quite happily taken to her lessons. They had looked forward to them even since after their father had been murdered she'd taken up the title of Exalt herself. She hadn't been willing to let Aunt Lissa kill herself working.

After that, Robin, Queen of Ylisse, had had very little time to spend with her three children, and she, Marc and Morgan understood.

 _First Timeline: Six Years Ago: Ylisstol_

 _"Mother?"_

 _Her mother's head shot up and she turned tired eyes on her three children, "Lucina, Marc, Morgan, shouldn't you be in bed?"_

 _"But we aren't sleepy," Lucina replied. "You forgot our lessons today."_

 _Her mother's eyes widened, and her face paled. "I am so sorry my dears. I have no idea where the time went. Here, I'll put you to bed myself. How's that?"_

 _"Ok," Lucina replied, watching as her mother stood from her chair._

 _Her mother picked Marc up and took Lucina's hand. "Would you like a story or a lullaby tonight?"_

 _"Sing for us, Mother."_

 _Lucina smiled. Of course Morgan would choose that, their mother had the most beautiful voice in the whole Halidom._

 _"Alright my loves," her mother smiled as she set Marc on their bed and Lucina boosted Morgan up before climbing up herself and getting under the covers._

 _Their mother turned to look out the window. "The stars are very beautiful…"_ [1]

 _Timeline Two: Ferox Arena_

Lucina snapped out of her memory when she heard her father begin to move and was ready when he flipped, bringing his Falchion down on hers hard. He made several swings. Wincing at each clash, she parried all of them. Her father was powerful. Her arm was going numb, but she couldn't give in.

"Tell me," her father demanded after a particularly savage swing of his sword, "who taught you to fight like that?"

Lucina smiled. 'You did father,' she thought proudly. If he knew would he be proud that she'd just fought him to a standstill?

"My father," she replied almost softly, almost fondly, before jumping back and retreating to the other side of the ring. Silently she cursed. How could her arm be so numb? Her father hadn't engaged her that hard had he?

Lucina watched with sharp eyes and had to strain her ears, but she could see her father return to her mother's side and what they said.

"Marth is a gifted swordsman," her mother said. Lucina glowed internally at the very rare praise she was getting from her mother. "His men look capable as well. We should mind our distance."

Lucina hated the way Marth fell from her parent's lips and longed for the day she could tell them who she really was. She couldn't help her wide smile. Her second run in with them and each time- _each time-_ her mother had praised her. It sent her morale soaring after so long searching for the others and nothing. It was the boost that she hadn't known she'd needed.

Knowing that she wasn't doing nearly as well as she would have been had Morgan and Marc been here, she directed her troops as best she could and cringed each time one of her men had to forfeit.

Finally, it was just her and her parents, and Lucina had to bite back the unreasonable fear she felt when she noticed that all the Shepherds chosen for the match were still standing. This so was not fair.

'I knew I'd never be able to beat my Mother on my own,' she scolded herself and got ready as her father approached her. It was all she could do to keep herself from shaking.

"Who is your father?" Lucina looked up at her father when he asked and wished she could say.

"I've said enough for one day sir," she forced herself to say.

Her father snorted. "Is that how it is?" She felt her fear raise as he grit his teeth. "Robin owes you her life, and for that, I owe you my gratitude."

Reminding herself that it was illegal to kill when in this arena, Lucina had to push her fear away, though she didn't think her father could be that mad.

"But, within these walls, I represent the East Khan and the interests of Ylisse," her father continued, and Lucina made sure to listen, relishing the sound of her father's voice. She also didn't want to miss anything.

"I can't promise to stay my blade," Lucina cursed herself for actually flinching at her father's words. Her eyes traveling over her father's shoulder to look at her mother and knew that the tactician had noticed. "However, I vow not to shame you."

Lucina forced herself to smile, to say the words she would never otherwise say forcing herself to laugh even. "Never expected such youthful arrogance," she swallowed again and licked her lip, a bad habit she'd picked up from her mother. "We shall see who shames who."

Lucina dove into battle again, bringing her sword down hard and was surprised when her blade caught and broke her mothers. "Not this time," her mother smirked, and Lucina was suddenly very scared.

Lucina's head snapped to the left and saw her father in the one stance she had hoped to never be on the business end of. "Your time has come!" he announced and hit her so hard with the flat of his Falchion that she was sure at least two of her ribs were broken.

Lucina winced as she was thrown off her feet and went skidding for several yards. She almost couldn't hold in her gasp of pain. Her vision went white. "Impressive," she breathed painfully when she was finally able to lift her head without her vision blurring, "if not surprising."

She knew that she should not be surprised that her parents had beaten her. She watched them celebrate their victory for a few minutes, noticing when her mother slipped one of her gloved hands into her father's, before painfully lifting herself up off the stadium floor and limped out.

She slipped her mask off when she collapsed at a nearby stream and looked into her reflection. She pulled off her armor and lifted her shirt. "That's going to be one nasty bruise," she laughed painfully, "but Father would have cleaved me clean in two if he'd have used the blade of Falchion. I guess I got really lucky today…"

And though she'd been so thoroughly beaten, Lucina's spirits had never been so high.

(End)

[1] Cost of the Crown: I don't own it! Love the song though and think it makes the perfect lullaby for Lucina!

…I have to stop getting sidetracked from ABFD and DH… at this rate I'll probably end up doing this for each of Lucina's appearances as Marth… Thanks to my Beta for looking over and fixing my mess as usual!


	4. Saving Aunt Emmeryn

**Title: A Fledgling's Defense**

 **Authoress: Neph Champion**

 **Idea: Lucina's point of view during Emmeryn's assassination attempt.**

 **Summary: Lucina knows that she needs to keep her Aunt Emmeryn alive, and preventing her father's crippling injury would be nice too.**

 **Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Fire Emblem**

 **Warning: Robin is Build 1, Face 1, Hair 3, Hair Color: 12.**

(Saving Aunt Emm)

Lucina listened to her father speaking with her mother from where she was hiding in the Maple Grove. She'd been dreading tonight since entering the past. Aunt Emmeryn's death and her father's crippling injury were things she wanted to avoid at all cost.

What should she do? Things were always better when she had her siblings to bounce ideas off of, but she still hadn't found them. Where could Marc and Morgan be? So far she'd traveled all over Ylisse, and with each day that she hadn't found them, the sixteen year old grew more and more worried.

"…Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to," she heard her father say and she knew that the assassin sent after him would be here soon.

She slid from her perch in a tree close to her parents and made her way to them. "Well-spoken, sir," she complimented her father.

Both her parents turned to look at her. "Marth?" her father asked.

"Good evening to you," Lucina wanted to smile, but the tales of Aunt Emm's death kept what might have been a pleasant smile off her face.

"How did you get in here?"

Lucina smiled mischievously. It was the smile that her father always said her mother got when she'd come up with something funny or a particularly inventive and evil battle strategy. "The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove."

Father blushed. "There?" He was stunned for a moment. "But how did you?"

Mother turned to Father. "Do I even want to know?" Mother sounded quite amused.

"I kind of, might have bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds." Father waved his hands so that Mother wouldn't try to hurt him. "It's only a small hole really and I thought I'd concealed it."

"But obviously not well enough." Mother wacked Father on the back of the head. "And I would not call the hole small if Marth can squeeze through it."

Lucina did her best to hide her amusement. Her parents were just as she remembered them being from when she was a small child. "Your secret is safe. Don't worry." She sobered "I've come to warn you."

"Of what?" Mother asked.

Lucina looked away from their eyes and knew that, for the moment, they wouldn't believe her. "The Exalt's life is in danger."

"What?" Mother was stunned.

"That's absurd. Emmeryn is guarded at all hours," her father retorted.

Lucina licked her lip nervously. "What if..." She turned to where the assassin would appear.

"What if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me?" she almost pleaded with her father. "A future where Emmeryn is killed, here, tonight?"

"Seen the future," her father, Exalt Chrom, scoffed. "Have you lost your wits?"

Lucina flinched. 'Calm down, you knew they wouldn't believe you without proof, remember? Marc and Morgan both agreed with my theory that I'd have to save him from the assassin tonight before he would believe me,' she thought to herself.

"Yes," she took a deep breath, "I expected that you would not believe me."

Lucina stood taller. "Let me prove it to you then." She could hear the assassin and fought not to smirk. He was right on time.

Watching as her father placed a hand on the hilt of his blade, Lucina drew Falchion. "I'm about to save your life," she licked her lip again as the sound of someone crashing through trees became audible, "from him."

She threw Falchion into the air and flipped as a man dressed in the red Plegian assassin uniform rushed out of the trees. She brought her sword down, killing the man almost instantly, and completely missing that he'd dropped his sword. "I trust this will suffice?" she asked as she placed her foot on the dropped sword.

She was rather pleased with herself, having managed to keep her father from being injured. She was already halfway to her objective.

"Yeah," her father breathed in surprise.

Lucina turned, surprised when another assassin burst from the trees and tripped on the sword she hadn't known she was standing on. As Lucina fell backwards the sword strike aimed at her barely missed and went through her mask instead.

She turned away, ready to roll and get back up when someone caught her. Lucina blinked and let her hair fall into her eyes to hide her Brand. "I've got you," her mother said.

Lucina could feel the Arcthunder book pressed against her back and could hear the crackling of her mother's Thunder Magic in her other hand. Honestly, Lucina hadn't felt this safe since her mother had disappeared almost six years ago.

"Arcthunder," she heard her mother breathe and knew that the other Assassin was dead.

She gripped her mother's arm and pushed herself up. She kept her head down. There was no doubt Mother had already figured it out, but she didn't want anyone to see her Brand.

"Are you alright, my little Marth?" Lucina blushed at her mother's tone.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." She pulled away to stand on her own and heard her father gasp.

"You," her Father blinked, "you're a woman?"

Lucina gave her father a nervous smile. "And quite the actress. I'm surprised that you didn't figure it out sooner honestly." She was glad that her father wasn't close enough to see the brand in her eye and that her mother was at the wrong angle to see it.

The explosion that rocked the castle a moment later reminded her that her mission wasn't yet complete and that she had wasted valuable time chatting with her parents. "Oh no." She started running with her parents back into what would one day be her home. 'Not Aunt Emm!'

 _Five minutes later_

Lucina frowned when she saw who was out there. 'Grandfather!' She hated the man. He'd never treated Mother well when he would come to visit, and on top of that, her mother had shared with her the suspicions about the night her Aunt Emm died.

That would change tonight. Hopefully after tonight, she wouldn't have to deal with the vile man ever again.

Lucina looked up at the rafters and smiled at the sound. 'Looks like Aunt Panne is right on time…' she thought with a smile.

Lucina dimly heard her father confront Aunt Panne. "Panne is not your enemy!" she called. "I knew she'd be here tonight and she's not here to hurt A—Lady Emmeryn." She barely corrected herself in time.

'Stupid,' she scolded herself. 'Almost slipped. It's a good thing Father can be so oblivious.'

"You are certain?" her father asked.

"Yes," Lucina replied. She did her best to ignore Uncle Frederick being himself. It wouldn't matter if it hurt that he didn't trust her. He was like that with everyone.

"Thank you," Lucina breathed when she got her father's vote of confidence, "…Chrom, Father…"

Lucina barely withheld her giggles at her father's incredulity at Uncle Gaius agreeing to fight for Aunt Emm for candy.

She only had to kill five of the assassins before the rest of the Shepherds killed all the others. Lucina rushed to the hallway window and bit her lower lip as she watched her parents approach her grandfather. 'Please, please Naga, let them be safe,' she thought as her mother looked up at her.

Lucina grit her teeth at the smile her mother gave her and wanted to scream. 'Please, Mother, don't underestimate him!'

She stiffened when she heard her grandfather speak of truth. 'Your truth is not our truth!' She smiled in grim satisfaction when she watched her father and mother work together to kill him.

"Good riddance to filth," she said to herself as she left the castle.

 _Five minutes later_

Lucina stopped when she heard her mother approach. "Going somewhere, young lady?"

"…Mother, I know I shouldn't be that surprised that you figured it out already." Lucina gave her a sheepish smile.

Mother gave her a look that told her to explain herself. "I know leaving without saying good bye is a bad habit but."

"Dear Marth," Lucina looked up into her mother's golden eyes, "I would like to repay you, is there anything your mother can do?"

"I already have everything I want," Lucina replied. "I have prevented Father from gaining a crippling injury, and Aunt Emm is alive and well. There's nothing else I could ever want."

"And the future you spoke of earlier?" Mother asked.

"After Aunt Emm died the Fire Emblem was stolen, and Ylisse fell into a war with Plegia. Soon after that, mankind ended as well. All because of the man you killed tonight."

Lucina blinked when her mother pulled her into a hug and tried not to cry. It had been so long since she'd felt so safe. Lucina didn't want to move, but Morgan and Marc were still missing, and though her mother had offered, she didn't dare tell the woman that her younger siblings were missing.

Lucina pulled away. "I know it sounds farfetched."

"I'm sure your father will believe me when I tell him." Her mother brushed the tears from Lucina's eyes.

Lucina nodded and leaned into her mother again as the woman pet her hair. She made a snap decision. She wasn't going to wait to figure out who killed her father to do something about it. "Please be careful, Mother. Father will be killed by someone close to him."

She felt her mother tense but kept going. "Please, Mother, keep Father safe."

"You don't have to ask that of me Marth," Mother replied with a dangerous smile before she leaned forward and Lucina felt Mother kiss her forehead.

"Thank you Mother," Lucina whispered as she pulled away from her beloved mother and began walking away.

Lucina barely caught her mother's soft whisper. "You're welcome, my beloved child."

Lucina smiled happily and hummed her lullaby under her breath. Her insides were glowing with warmth. Her mother's acknowledgment was both rare and precious, and this would keep her going for a while.

Lucina paused when she heard the rustling of leaves and crouched down, silently moving leaves aside so that she could see what was going on. She covered her mouth to keep silent in horror.

There was her grandfather, Validar, bleeding out on the ground. She could even hear him speaking.

He coughed. "How? My purpose is too significant," he coughed again, "to be thwarted here!"

Lucina's eyes widened when she saw the familiar, tattered cloak her mother had been wearing the day she'd disappeared, and had to bite one of her fingers to keep silent. So it was true, Grima really had stolen her mother's body.

"Validar," she heard Grima's voice coming from her mother's lips. It made her sick. How could the Fell Dragon have followed them here?

"What?" her grandfather asked. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Grima laughed in an imitation of her mother's gentle and kind laugh. "I am the power that compels you," She spoke in a caricature of her mother's loving tone. "You will not perish here. It is not written. You must live to author a destiny far greater than you know."

Her grandfather gasped. "It-it can't be you. That's impossible!"

Grima chuckled almost gently, if the Fell Dragon of Destruction could do gentle. "I am the wings of despair," she purred and Lucina resisted the urge to clap her hands over her ears. Her mother had spoken that way to her father just before Morgan and Marc had been conceived. "I am the breath of ruin."

Her eyes glittered darkly. "I am the Fell Dragon, Grima."

Lucina silently pulled away and fled. Her good mood and high spirits ruined.

(End)

…Poor Luci I really love her, she's adorable. And look! Plot happened.

Thanks to my Beta once again for coming through for me~!


	5. The Fledgling Butterfly

**Title: A Fledgling's Revelation**

 **Writer: Neph Champion**

 **Idea: Awakening: Snippet from chapter twelve (Of Sacred Blood), Lucina's point of view when she reveals herself to her father**

 **Summary: Lucina, heart heavy and terrified for her parent's lives finally reveals herself to her father. It's made even harder by the fact that she still hasn't found her twin siblings.**

 **Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Fire Emblem.**

 **Warning: Robin is Build 1, Face 1, Hair 3, Hair Color: 12.**

(The Fledgling Butterfly)

She gasped as an assassin jumped in between her parents. "Father, no!" She leaped off of Tiny Hero-King, pulling Falchion from its sheath as she did so. "I will not let you hurt my Mother _or_ my Father."

Her Falchion cut into the Risen with ease, and she panted as she landed between her parents. Lucina stood slowly, taking a deep, calming breath as she did so. She looked from her smiling Mother on one side to her frowning Father on the other.

Then, Lucina realized that she had actually called her father by his title where he could hear. Oops, had she just made a terrible mistake?

"You called me 'Father'," Father said evenly, and Lucina took a step back, closer to her mother.

"Did I?" Lucina looked over her shoulder, silently asking her mother for help.

Mother took a step forward and set her hands upon Lucina's shoulders and gave her a slight push. Mother breathed in her ear. "If you want something, even if it's to only get something off your chest, my dear, now is the time."

Lucina nodded as she let her mother's words give her courage. She had always looked up to her father even though he'd died in her early childhood. Her mother's stories had painted the picture of strong and wise king, a cheerful prince who was willing to help anyone in need and a charismatic leader that drew others to him like moths to a burning flame.

Lucina gave her mother one last uncertain look and got a nod in reply. Lucina nodded again and gave one sharp whistle.

Her mother's Pegasus, Tiny Hero-King, landed a moment later, and Lucina mounted with the ease of long practice. She took up the reins and had Hero-King land next to her father. "In that case, might we speak privately?"

Father blinked up at her. "Perhaps we should," he agreed before warily mounting the Pegasus behind her.

Lucina had Hero-King fly them to a nearby river, out of range for anyone else to hear, but close enough to the Shepherd's camp that Mother would easily be able to find them if the woman needed too.

Lucina turned in the saddle to watch her father slide from his perch. Even now, when he was so young, Lucina could see that all of Mother's tales about Chrom of House Ylisse were completely true. A small, sad smile tugged at her lips as she too dismounted.

Hero-King shoved her with his nose and she pulled out several sugar cubes to keep him busy. Lucina chuckled sadly. This Pegasus, her pendant, the tiara atop her head, Falchion, and her tactician's cloak were all she had left of her parents.

And, truth be told, Lucina wasn't sure how her father would take what she was about to reveal, even with all her mother's stories proving to be true. "I, I don't know where I should begin. I know it should be at the beginning but…" She sighed. The courage she'd gained from her mother was dwindling fast. If she didn't say something, Lucina was almost afraid that she'd end up running away like she always did.

"I already know you aren't Marth." Her father gave her the perfect opening, "Ylisse owes you a debt, and though I have nothing better to call you, I won't ask that you say anything you aren't willing to share."

Lucina chuckled, a half broken sound, as she gave her father a sad smile. "I would much rather you know the truth, but thank you." She lowered her head in thought.

Her father was giving her a sad look that Lucina hated. It was the very same look he'd given her the day he and Mother had left to confront Validar, the trip father had not returned from.

Lucina _hated_ that smile, and, it was at last time to reveal herself to her father. She pushed aside the stubborn strand of hair that had been hiding her Brand. Her hands tightening around her pegasus's reins, she took a few steps forward. "Look into my eyes, and all will be made clear."

Lucina lifted her head, opened her eyes, and looked straight into her father's. Bracing herself for what he might do.

Father took a step forward, brushed her hair aside to get a better look, and drew in a surprised breath when he saw her Brand. "That, but..." He pulled away and turned his gaze from her eyes to her sword. Then he looked back into her eyes, "Lucina?"

Lucina nodded. "Yes, Father." She looked away, still trying to decide where to start her tale.

Father sighed. "I'm sorry."

She looked up sharply. "What do you mean?" Why was her father sorry? He shouldn't be. Nothing was his fault.

Father gave her that sad smile again. "You deserved better from me than one sword and a world of troubles."

That did it. That was all it took for the walls Lucina had built to keep herself from crying to crumble. "Father," she breathed as tears welled up in her blue eyes. "Oh, Father." She hugged him for the first time in over ten years.

His hugs were just as she remembered them to be: gentle and warm but tight and solid, as if she were the most important thing in his world.

Exalt Chrom brushed some tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Lucina," he whispered again.

For a moment, they stood there. Neither said anything as Lucina struggled to pull herself back together. Finally they pulled apart.

Lucina wiped the rest of her tears away with her fingerless gloves. She felt lighter now that her father knew who she really was.

Her father's voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Feeling better, Lucina?"

"Yes actually," Lucina struggled to give her father a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry, Father. It all just rushed back to me at once."

"Father," Lucina's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. Her father was looking at her with an uncertain look.

Darn! Lucina swallowed. "Should I call you something else?" Mother hadn't minded so she'd just thought-!

Father shook his head. "It sounds strange to my ears, but I like it."

Lucina was secretly pleased, and she giggled helplessly. "Oh, Father…"

Father shrugged. "It'll take some getting used to is all."

"Beloved," that was Mother's voice, "we're ready to go."

"Ah, Robin," Father pulled away, "we should be going before more Risen show up then."

Lucina grew worried as Mother came to her side. "Yes Mother?"

"Marth was crying," Mother reminded Father, "and you are both out here alone."

Lucina's insides froze. She didn't want to be the cause of any rumors that might start. "Mother."

Mother gave her a smile. "This is how ill rumors are born. You both are lucky that I insisted that I be the one to get you." She put her hands on Lucina's shoulders. "You are lucky it wasn't Sumia and Henry that got sent out."

"Can we tell her Lucina?" Father asked.

"It is likely that Mother already knows," Lucina replied as she turned, and finally let her mother see her Brand.

"Lucina," Mother breathed, a smile on her face.

Lucina nodded.

"I knew there had to be a reason that you'd keep your eye hidden," Mother gave her that warm hug again and Lucina just melted, she didn't want to move from this spot ever.

But as always, thoughts of her missing twin siblings rose in her mind, and she knew that she'd have to ask for help to find not just them, but Cousin Owain and all of their friends too.

"I came from more than ten years into the future," Lucina told them. "Mother, you already know that Father died. I don't know when, but now that Aunt Emmeryn is dead, the world will take a most dark and destructive turn."

Lucina thought back on the time that she and her Shepherds had been forced to abandon Ylisstol and shivered, fighting back tears again. She could feel Mother's arms slide from on top of her shoulders and around them. Then she was pulled into a warm, familiar chest, with one hand petting her hair.

"What happens?" Mother asked softly, almost too softly for Father to hear.

"Grima is resurrected," Lucina whimpered as she tried in vain to get herself back together. "His roar heralds the death of mankind and silences all hope. There was death everywhere."

"All of us?" Mother breathed. "We're all gone?"

"Father was just the first," Lucina confirmed. "No one else died until after you disappeared."

Mother and Father were stunned into silence. They didn't know what to say so Lucina continued. "Uncle Frederick, Aunt Tharja, Aunt Sumia and Uncle Henry were the first to leave and never return. It kept up that way. All of them left in pairs like that until Aunt Lissa and Uncle Kellam were the only ones left."

Lucina took a deep breath "We all trained hard, but then, Aunt Lissa and Uncle Kellam disappeared too."

Mother's arms tightened. "I don't know what to say," she whispered.

"It's an unbelievable tale," Father sighed, and Lucina turned her head to watch as he struck a tree with his own Falchion, "but the proof stands before us."

"Falchion is all I have left of you Father," Lucina admitted.

"There is only one Falchion," Father agreed. "I believe her."

"Good, I'd have had to shoot you with Thunder Magic if you hadn't," Mother smiled, "seeing as I _saw_ her come from the future while you were busy with the Risen."

Lucina smiled. She was happy that they finally knew and believed her. "Naga feared mankind would face Grima again, and so she devised a ritual that would allow one to return to the past and alter the events already written." Lucina took a breath. If ever there was a time to ask for help finding her companions, it was now.

"I and several others made the journey, but we were all separated." Lucina finally admitted.

Father's smile was determined. "Don't worry, Lucina. We'll find them."

"Thank you, Father," Lucina bowed her head.

"Are you sure you're alright, Lucina?" Mother asked.

Lucina nodded. "Yes, Mother."

Mother sighed. "You've become such a strong woman. Your father and I are truly blessed." Her smile made Lucina's heart swell in happiness. "You are the finest daughter I could hope for."

"Oh, Mother, you and Father, I've missed you more then you could ever know." Lucina closed her eyes and rested her head against her mother's shoulder. She wished more than ever that she'd been able to find her younger twin siblings before this moment.

(End)

And that's the end of this side story, maybe. I might write a Lucina POV for Disowned From Time.


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